The invention relates to a propelling gas system for alcohol containing perfuming liquids which are set up in aerosol form under pressure by means of a liquifiable propelling gas and can be used by spray dispensing from the container.
The dispensing and spraying of alcohol-containing fragrancy materials such as perfumes and colognes by means of added liquifiable propelling gases is old. The propelling gases usually comprise aliphatic hydrocarbons such as propane and/or butane as well as fluorinated chlorohydrocarbons such as dichlorodifluoromethane and/or dichlorotetrafluoroethane and mixtures of these materials.
These propelling gases however have various shortcomings for the indicated purposes. Since they have only a low water solubility it is necessary for the perfuming liquids to be dispensed in aerosol form to include a higher percentage alcohol than in containers which are non-pressurized. It is otherwise impossible to dissolve the necessary propelling gas in the perfuming preparation to permit spraying thereof. Frequently phase separation occurs and the further dispensing of the preparation is then impossible. It is also important to note that the solubility of the smelling or scenting components in the perfuming liquid in the above listed propelling gas components is usually below the solubility in alcohol. Therefore flocculations or cystalline precipitations of certain scenting components may occur, sometimes only after a prolonged storage time, which result in clogging up of the valves and thus destroy the usefulness of the dispenser.
These shortcomings can usually be countered by special provisions wherever the perfuming preparation is set up by the manufacturer himself in the aerosol container and thus distributed. These special provisions include the use of a high percentage alcohol for the aerosol dispenser contents.
To use an example the German perfume cologne known under the tradename "Chat Noir Eau de Cologne" uses a 72% alcohol for the normal bottle contents while the same product in aerosol form is used with a 96% concentration alcohol.
Besides, the use in aerosol dispensers is limited to fragrancy combinations which have been tested for this purpose and wherein the mutual solubility of the propelling gases and perfuming liquid has been found to be adequate. All these special provisions and steps of course increase the cost of the final product. Besides they also affect the quality of the product since certain normally not replaceable smelling components must be omitted because of lack of suitability for the aerosol use. This qualitative differentiation appears to the ultimate consumer particularly if he occasionally uses a smelling preparation known to him in an aerosol dispenser instead of a normal bottle container.
All these difficulties are particularly marked if refills are to be composed by the consumer himself by mixing an alcoholic perfuming liquid with a separately added liquifiable propelling gas such as is possible with the type of dispenser disclosed in application No. 97,474 filed by the same applicant on Dec. 8, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,165.
It may be understood that with this type of aerosol refills which are set up by the consumer it is normally not possible to provide for a special composition of the perfuming liquid adapted to aerosol disposal by refillable dispensers. The consumer rather has to rely on the normal bottled perfuming liquid. If these bottle-packed preparations are gasified by the conventional propelling gas the alcohol content of the product which normally is 65 - 80% by weight is usually too low to dissolve the necessary amount of these propellants in the perfuming preparation to permit a satisfactory spraying thereof. Thus the dispenser cannot be completely evacuated. There is furthermore the danger that precipitation and separations of the scenting components occur which may clog up the usually very delicate dispensing valves of the packaging. This difficulty to provide for proper handling of the normal perfume preparations with the conventional propelling gases so far has been an insurmountable obstacle to the introduction and use of refillable aerosol dispensers.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide for a propelling gas-perfuming liquid combination which has solubility properties to assure a stable and unobjectionable aerosol dispensing even with perfuming liquids of low alcohol contents and also perfuming preparations which contain scenting components which are normally of poor solubility.
More specifically it is an object of the invention to permit dispensing of this type of perfuming preparation by dispensers which may be refilled and gasified by the consumer.